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The cost to repair Britain’s pothole-stricken roads has soared to more than £12bn and works could take more than nine years to complete, according to a new report.

The Annual Local Authority Road Maintenance (ALARM) survey, published by the Asphalt Industry Alliance (AIA), shows that the reported backlog of carriageway repairs has increased by almost a quarter since last year.

It has cost fleet operators and private motorists £1.7bn in vehicle repairs, over the last 12 months, according to Kwik Fit.

Rick Green, AIA Chair, said: “Local authority highway teams have a legal responsibility to keep our roads safe, but do not have the funds to do so in a cost effective, proactive way. As a result, while they report some slight improvements in surface conditions, the structure of our roads continues to decline.

“Although surface repairs have a part to play in extending the life of local roads, short-term fixes, including filling potholes, is indicative of a network that is ‘on the edge’ and less efficient and sustainable when it comes to materials usage and whole-life carbon emissions.”

The ALARM survey reveals that Local authorities would have needed an extra £1bn last year just to reach their own target road conditions, before even thinking about tackling the backlog of repairs.

Almost one in five local roads could need to be rebuilt in the next five years, accounting for nearly 37,000 miles of the network.

Green added: “The longer it takes for the funding to be put in place to tackle the backlog of repairs, the more it is going to cost to put it right in the future. Four years ago, the AIA calculated that an additional £1.5 billion per year was needed for 10 years to bring local roads up to scratch. In the meantime, the network has continued to decline and ALARM 2022 indicates that an additional investment of more than £2 billion a year over the next decade is now needed.”

Kwik Fit’s research found that 13.3 million motorists say their car has suffered damage in the last year as a result of a pothole impact, with the average individual repair bill coming to £132.

When it comes to the road surfaces in their local area, almost three times as many drivers think conditions have deteriorated in the last year as believe they have got better. 

Almost half (46%) of drivers say the road surfaces have got worse in the last twelve months, compared to 16% who say they have improved.  London is the only region of the country to buck this trend.  In the capital, 30% of drivers say the road surfaces are better than one year ago, compared to 25% who say they are worse.

The RAC’s head of roads policy, Nicholas Lyes, said: “This year’s AIA ALARM report provides a sobering picture of the dire condition of our local road network. Not only has there been a significant increase in the cost to fix the backlog of defects, but worryingly the report also shows that roads are only resurfaced once every 70 years on average, with maintenance mostly focusing on filling potholes which is often nothing more than a sticking plaster.

“The Government must now look at implementing a long-term funding strategy which ringfences a small proportion of existing fuel duty revenue to give local authorities the resources to properly plan maintenance and to ensure our local roads are once again made fit for purpose.”

Jack Cousens, head of roads policy at The AA, added: “Each year the debate around roads maintenance degenerates into a blame game between local authorities and Government as each claims it is the other’s responsibility to resolve.

Local and national government must get round the table and create a fully-funded plan that will help make our roads safer. There is now a need to focus available road funding on the most basic need: fixing the roads – for the benefit of drivers, cyclists and pedestrians.”  By Graham Hill thanks to Fleet News

The RAC has set out to disprove remarks from Environment Secretary George Eustice that electric cars may not be as environmentally friendly as people think.

Eustice told MPs on the Commons’ environment, food and rural affairs committee that fine particulate matter, known as PM2.5, may be worse with electric cars due to them being heavier.

The motoring organisation commissioned battery electrochemist Dr Euan McTurk to “set the record straight”.

Dr McTurk’s findings, based on real-world use, show that EVs’ brakes wear far more slowly than conventional cars, while tyre wear is similar for the non-driven wheels and only slightly worse for driven wheels.

Simon Williams, from the RAC, said: “George Eustice’s remarks about EVs not being as green as some may think were very unhelpful and could put some drivers off making the switch to zero-emission driving.

“There are far too many negative myths surrounding electric cars which need to be busted as soon as possible in order to speed up the electric revolution. We hope these positive real-world experiences will help to clear up some of the confusion.”

In his report for the RAC, Dr McTurk states most of the braking in electric cars is done via regenerative braking where the electric motor works in reverse, converting kinetic energy from the moving vehicle into electricity to charge the battery when slowing down. This not only reduces the use of the mechanical brake discs and pads but adds more range to the vehicle too.

Dr McTurk said: “Dundee Taxi Rentals says that brake pads on its 11 Nissan Leaf taxis have a lifespan of 80-100,000 miles – four times that of their diesel taxis.

“In addition, Cleevely EV, one of the best-known EV mechanics in the UK based in Cheltenham, regularly sees EVs with brakes that have lasted over 100,000 miles. The company says if they ever need to replace an EV’s brakes, it’s not because of wear but because they’ve seized up due to lack of use.”

In terms of tyre wear, which is another source of particulate matter pollution from any vehicle, Dr McTurk disputes the widely quoted research carried out by Emissions Analytics (EA) in 2020 which concluded pollution from tyres is 1,000 times higher than a car’s exhaust emissions.

Dr McTurk said: “An Emissions Analytics 2020 press release stated that a car they tested shed 9.28 grams of particulate matter per mile from its tyres. However, it turns out that this was a worst-case scenario featuring the cheapest tyres, heavy ballast in the car and driving at high speeds with much cornering. This point which wasn’t made clear in the press release, which was subsequently reported extensively in the media.”

The EA report claimed a car shed 9.28gm of particulate matter per mile from its tyres. With a typical family car tyre weighing around 9kg, giving a total weight of 36kg that would mean the tyres would physically have disappeared in less than 4,000 miles and the car would be running on its alloys.

“In reality, tread represents about 35% of a tyre’s total weight, so the tyres would be bald in less than 1,358 miles, or two months’ of driving for the average UK driver,” added Dr McTurk.

British Gas, which currently operates 800 pure electric vans, reports that its latest large, heavy electric vans have done 15,000 miles and have not yet needed replacement tyres.

Similarly, Dundee Taxi Rentals reports that the lifespan of the front tyres on their all-electric front-wheel drive Nissan Leafs is about 5,000 to 10,000 miles less than their diesel taxis but, more positively, the rear tyres last the same amount of time, typically covering 30-36,000 miles before needing to replaced. By Graham Hill thanks to Fleet News

A crackdown on private e-scooters is being recommended by the Parliamentary Advisory Council for Transport Safety (PACTS) after it found that 15 riders were killed on UK roads.

The independent body has collated records from the police, insurers and media for casualties involving e-scooters in 2021. This shows almost 900 casualties, with 20% involving injuries to pedestrians and cyclists.

The Department for Transport’s (DfT) figures show that there were 484 casualties involving e-scooters in 2020.

In a new report, The safety of private e-scooters in the UK, PACTS advises the DfT to adopt 14 safety regulations (see below) for their construction and use. These include a maximum speed limit of 12.5mph and mandatory helmets.

The report, funded by The Road Safety Trust, shows that in vital respects e-scooters are different from pedal cycles and should be assessed and regulated based on their own attributes.

David Davies, PACTS executive director, said: “E-scooters are a controversial issue and risks to riders and pedestrians are increasingly apparent. The Government should act now to curb dangerous and illegal use. Even if the Government decides on the way forward soon, legislation will not take effect until sometime next year. They should take this opportunity to gather evidence and consult widely – something which should have happened before the rental trials started but was curtailed by the pandemic.”

PACTS is clear in its report that rental e-scooters and their use are different in a number of significant respects from private e-scooters and private use. This will remain so. It said it will not be feasible to impose the sophisticated safety devices and management systems, employed in the better rental schemes, on private e-scooters and users.

A recent survey by law firm Keoghs, found that the public believe e-scooter riders should follow similar rules to other motorised vehicle users if they are permitted for use on UK roads.

Age restrictions and a licencing system for riders were favoured by around two-thirds of respondents, along with a ban on e-scooter use on pavements and pedestrianised areas.

PACTS recommendations for the safe construction and use of private e-scooters

• Maximum possible top speed of 12.5mph
• Maximum continuous rated motor power 250W
• Anti-tampering mechanisms should be included in construction. Tampering should be prohibited by law
• Minimum front wheel size of 12 inches (30.5cm) and minimum rear wheel size of 10 inches (25.5cm)
• Two independently controlled braking devices, one acting on the front wheel and one acting on the rearwheel
• Lighting to be mandatory at all times
• Maximum unladen weight of 20kg
• An audible warning device to be mandatory
• Helmet wearing to be mandatory
• Riding on the footway (pavement) or footpath to be prohibited
• Rider age limit of at least 16 years
• Carrying of a passenger to be prohibited
• Drink driving, dangerous or careless riding, and handheld mobile phone use to be prohibited
• In-person rider training and third party insurance are recommended.

By Graham Hill thanks to Fleet News

Cold weather had reduce an electric vehicle’s range by more than 20%, research by What Car? has found.

However, the magazine’s research also suggested an EV fitted with a heat pump significantly improves cold weather efficiency.

Steve Huntingford, editor of What Car?, said: “Range remains one of the key considerations for electric car buyers, but when deciding whether a particular model can go far enough on a charge to fit into your life, it’s important to bear in mind that batteries don’t work as well in cooler conditions.”

The magazine, together with its sister title Move Electric, put cars through a real-world winter range test and then compared the results with those for identically-specced models tested last summer.

In the winter range test, the Porsche Taycan 4S Performance Battery Plus managed 224 miles on a full charge. That’s a 20.1% drop on the 281 miles that the same model on the same-sized wheels achieved when What Car? tested it last summer.

Other models retested included the Ford Mustang Mach-E Extended Range RWD (which fell 18.0% short of its summer figure), the Skoda Enyaq iV 60 (15.7%) and the Fiat 500 42kWh (15.2%).

What Car? and Move Electric also found that if you specify your electric car with a heat pump, drivers were able to get significantly closer to the official WLTP range.

A heat pump reduces strain on the battery by drawing excess heat from the electric drivetrain, distributing it around the interior of the car through the air conditioning.

Five models so equipped were tested, with these falling short of their official WLTP mileage figures by an average of 25.4%.

By comparison, five models that relied on a regular interior heater suffered an average deficit of 33.6%.

 The tests were conducted on a closed vehicle proving ground, on a 15-mile route consisting of 2.6 miles of simulated stop-start urban traffic, four miles of steady 50mph driving and eight miles driving at a constant speed of 70mph, to simulate motorway journeys.

In July last year, What Car? research found EVs fell short of their WLTP range by 14.8%.

Winter vs summer range test results

Model	Variant	Usable battery size	Summer range	Winter range	Shortfall
Porsche Taycan	4S Performance Battery Plus	83.7kWh	281 miles	224 miles	20.10%
Ford Mustang Mach-E	Extended Range RWD	88.0kWh	302 miles	247 miles	18.00%
Skoda Enyaq iV	60	58.0kWh	207 miles	174 miles	15.70%
Fiat 500	42kWh Icon	7.3kWh	140 miles	118 miles	15.20%

Ranges of cars with and without heat pumps

Model	Variant	Usable battery size	Heat pump	Official (WLTP) range	Winter test range	Shortfall
Fiat 500	42kWh Icon	37.3kWh	No	198 miles	118 miles	40.00%
Ford Mustang Mach-E	Extended Range RWD	88.0kWh	No	379 miles	247 miles	34.60%
MG 5	Long Range Exclusive	57.0kWh	No	250 miles	167 miles	33.10%
Audi Q4 e-tron	50 quattro S line	76.6kWh	No	290 miles	201 miles	30.60%
Kia EV6	GT-Line RWD	72.5kWh	Yes	328 miles	228 miles	30.40%
Skoda Enyaq iV	60	58.0kWh	No	249 miles	174 miles	29.80%
Tesla Model Y	Long Range	75.0kWh	Yes	331 miles	247 miles	25.20%
Tesla Model 3	Long Range	75.0kWh	Yes	374 miles	281 miles	24.80%
BMW iX3	M Sport	74.0kWh	Yes	282 miles	212 miles	24.70%
Porsche Taycan	4S Performance battery Plus	83.7kWh	Yes	287 miles	224 miles	21.80%

By Graham Hill thanks to Fleet News

Audi has revealed an electric estate concept with a 435-mile range that will closely mirror a production model that’s due in 2024.

Following the unveil of the electric A6 Sportback concept, last year, the German car maker has now outlined its plans to offer the executive model with an estate body.

The A6 Avant e-tron, along with its Sportback counterpart, is expected to go on sale in 2024 and will be sold alongside the existing A6 model.

It has similar dimensions to the current A6 and A7 series and has been developed with aerodynamics in mind.

Audi has not detailed the specifics of the car’s electric powertrain, but it says there will be single and twin motor variants. The twin-motor concept car delivers 469PS and 800Nm. Rear-wheel-drive models “developed for efficiency” will also be available when the car goes into production.

The A6 Avant e-tron will be based on Audi and Porsche’s new Premium Platform Electric (PPE) platform, which is designed exclusively for electric vehicles. It integrates a battery into the vehicle’s floor, allowing for a capacity of around 100kWh. Audi says the car can achieve a range of up to 435 miles.

Like the Audi e-tron GT, the A6 Avant e-tron uses an 800-volt charging system. It means 186 miles of range can be added in 10 minutes and a 5%-80% charge takes as little as 25 minutes, using a 270kW charger.

The car maker announced that it will phase out production of its last internal combustion engines (ICE) by 2033, with all new cars being all electric from 2026. By Graham Hill thanks to Fleet News

The cost of a breakdown for an electric vehicle (EV) is 2.7 times more than that of an internal combustion engine (ICE) car, new research suggests.

Analysis of more than 2,500 EVs over four-and-a-half years by Total Motion found that, on average, breakdown costs for a petrol or diesel car were £221 per incident (excluding accidents) compared with £596 for an EV.

The number of breakdowns, on average, was also higher for a plug-in vehicle – 3.1 incidents for an EV versus 1.9 for an ICE vehicle.

However, the research from the fleet management company shows that service, maintenance and repair (SMR) costs for EVs are, on average, approximately 27% lower than that of a petrol or diesel car.

The firm, which has been managing electric and alternative fuel vehicles since 2004, monitored reliability, downtime costs and breakdown frequency, comparing EVs with ICE cars in a number of key areas based on 36 months or 75,000 miles.

These included: SMR costs; number of breakdowns based on 36/75k; fleet insurance costs; downtime; parts availability; repair times; and dealer/repairer performance.

Between June 2017 and December 2021, the driving history of more than 2,500 EVs – Tesla, Porsche, Nissan, Renault, Audi and Mercedes – were scrutinised by the Total Motion team.

It found that the average costs involved in replacing a windscreen were six times that of an ICE vehicle. The average ICE replacement being £397 compared to an average of £2,382 for an EV.

Total Motion said the cost ratio was so different due to technology, such as ADAS, being used in the latest windscreens.

However, it could be argued that’s not down to the car in question being an EV as ICE vehicle windscreens are also employing similar technologies.

The average dealer satisfaction score for ICE vehicles, meanwhile, was 84% for ICE vehicles and 53% for EVs.

The Total motion team also compared miles per gallon (MPG) and range performance. Using the combined published MPG, the ICE vehicle achieved 83.6% while the EV achieved 74.1%.

In terms of insurance, Total Motion found insuring an EV is approximately 19% higher than that of an ICE equivalent, and in of in terms of vehicle off road (VOR) days including accidents, the average number of EV VOR days was 15.3 compared to 2.8 for an ICE vehicle.

Simon Hill, Total Motion director, said: “Whilst the clamour for EV vehicles is gathering momentum, particularly with generous company car tax breaks and the 2030 deadline for ceasing production of new petrol and diesel cars in the UK, we decided to carry out this research on behalf of our fleet customers.

“The findings of the study lead us to conclude that the transition to EV for many fleets is being done far too early, and that this will have significant cost and operational implications.”

Hill said: “Our long-term view is that ICE will continue to reduce in volume and EV and plug-in hybrid (PHEV) vehicles will continue to increase, with a view to hydrogen or hydrogen plug-in being challengers to EV within 15-20 years.”

However, Total Motion’s findings do not tally with the experience of some fleets. Over a four-year operating cycle, Siemens found a lot of EVs to be cheaper than diesel across most comparable models.

Wayne Warburton, Siemens head of UK Mobility Services, told Fleet News last year: “What’s making the difference is the maintenance and fuel. As leasing companies get a better understanding of how much cheaper they are to maintain, they are no longer loading the SMR from a risk point of view.

“The main driver, however, is the fuel savings on offer to the employee and the business and by moving to a TCO model this is very apparent in making an EV the sensible choice.”  By Graham Hill thanks to Fleet News

Tesla is allowing non-Tesla vehicles in the UK to use its Supercharger network, as part of a pilot scheme.

The electric car maker has opened 15 Supercharger stations, with 158 charge points, to drivers of non-Tesla vehicles across the UK.

The sites are located at Aberystwyth, Adderstone, Aviemore, Banbury, Birmingham St Andrews, Cardiff, Dundee, Flint, Folkestone Eurotunnel, Grays, Manchester Trafford Centre, Thetford, Trumpington, Uxbridge and Wokingham.

Drivers must use the Tesla smartphone app to access the chargers. Pricing is set at 60p per kWh, for non-Tesla owners, although a monthly subscription of £10.99 will provide cheaper rates.

A statement issued by Tesla said: “Access to an extensive, convenient and reliable fast-charging network is critical for large-scale EV adoption. That’s why, since opening our first Superchargers in 2012, we have been committed to rapid expansion of the network. Today, we have more than 30,000 Superchargers worldwide.

“Tesla drivers can continue to use these stations as they always have, and we will be closely monitoring each site for congestion and listening to customers about their experiences.

“More customers using the Supercharger network enables faster expansion. Our goal is to learn and iterate quickly, while continuing to aggressively expand the network, so we can eventually welcome both Tesla and non-Tesla drivers at every Supercharger worldwide.”

Tesla chargers are equipped with two connectors. One for Tesla vehicles and a CCS connector. Tesla has not confirmed the maximum charging speeds available to non-Tesla owners at the points.

Last year, Tesla launched a similar trial in the Netherlands. It also provides non-Tesla drivers with access to its Supercharger network in Austria, Belgium, France, Norway, Spain and Sweden.  By Graham Hill thanks to Fleet News

A shortage of wiring harnesses due to the conflict in Ukraine has overtaken the semiconductor crisis as the biggest supply chain problem for Volkswagen.

The German car maker is moving production of the harnesses to north Africa and eastern Europe, as Russia’s war on Ukraine adds to the growing list of automotive component shortages.

UK car registrations were down 25.9% on pre-pandemic levels, in February, as vehicle production remained constrained. Now, it is believed that new car prices will soar due to the rising cost of parts.

Rising raw material costs will drive up prices for both electric and internal combustion engine vehicles, Volkwagen Group chief financial officer Arno Antlitz warned, with everything from batteries to catalytic converters set to become more expensive.

Metals, including aluminium, along with the nickel and lithium used in batteries are becoming increasingly more expensive.

The Volkswagen Group’s sales revenues grew by 12.3% in 2021, despite it selling 2.3 million fewer cars than in a pre-pandemic 2019.

“Over the past two years, we have learned to better mitigate the impact of crises on our company,” said Antlitz. “I am confident that we will make the best possible use of these experiences to stay on track in these difficult times.

The company expects to increase deliveries of new vehicles by up to 10% this year, and boost its revenues by a further 8-13%.

Volkswagen Group CEO Herbert Diess warned that delays in supplies of wire harnesses, which bundle up to 3.1 miles of cables in a car and are unique to each model, could force Volkswagen to revise its outlook for 2022, if alternative sources are not found in 3-4 weeks.

Tesla has also been forced to increase prices in China and the US, this week, as a result of rising raw materials costs.

Elon Musk, the company’s CEO, said the carmaker was facing significant inflationary pressure in raw materials and logistics. By Graham Hill thanks to Fleet News

Several major carmakers have been raided on the suspicion of anti-competitive conduct in relation to the recycling of old or written-off vehicles, specifically cars and vans.

The joint operation, involving the European Commission and the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) conducted unannounced inspections at the unnamed businesses, yesterday (Tuesday, March 15).

The EC has concerns that several companies and associations may have violated EU antitrust rules that prohibit cartels and restrictive business practices (Article 101 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union).

In the UK, the CMA is investigating suspected infringements of Chapter I of the Competition Act 1998 (‘CA98’) involving a number of vehicle manufacturers and some industry bodies.

The CMA stressed that “no assumption” should be made at this stage that the CA98 has been infringed.

“The CMA has not reached a view as to whether there is sufficient evidence of an infringement of competition law for it to issue a statement of objections to any of the parties under investigation,” it said. “Not all cases result in the CMA issuing a statement of objections.”

The inspections and requests for information concern possible collusion in relation to the collection, treatment and recovery of end-of-life cars and vans which are considered waste.

Unannounced inspections and requests for information are a preliminary investigatory step into suspected anticompetitive practices.

EC officials said that there is no legal deadline to complete inquiries into anticompetitive conduct.

“Their duration depends on a number of factors, including the complexity of each case, the extent to which the companies and associations concerned co-operate with the Commission and the exercise of the rights of defence,” it said.

Renault confirmed to Reuters that it was visited by European Commission investigators and that it was cooperating fully.

Stellantis brand Opel also revealed its offices had been searched by investigators.

“The subject of investigation is the area of recycling end-of-life vehicles,” Opel said in a statement. “Of course, we cooperate fully with the authorities.”

German carmaker BMW said it had received a request for information and would respond.

Meanwhile, Mercedes Benz said it did not expect to be fined because it had approached the EU regulator and the CMA with information as a “leniency applicant”.

Ford said in a statement that it had been served with a notice by CMA “relating to the recycling of old or written-off vehicles, specifically cars and vans, also known as end-of-life vehicles”.

“Given the situation is ongoing it would be inappropriate for us to say more at this stage except to state that we will fully cooperate with the CMA’s review,” the carmaker said.

Volkswagen and its premium brand Audi both declined to comment.

Companies found breaching EU cartel rules face fines up to 10% of their global turnover.

The Commission has in the past decade issued fines totalling about €2.2 billion (£1.85bn) against car parts cartels dealing in products ranging from brakes to wire harnesses, seat belts and air bags. By Graham Hill thanks to Fleet News

Transport for London (TfL) is fitting speed limiters to a third of its van fleet to reduce the number of incidents involving its drivers.

More than 4,000 workers are authorised to drive the TfL’s 800-strong vehicle fleet, used to transport engineers and equipment to various stations throughout the capital to carry out maintenance work.

Most of this work is carried out at night and speeding incident data analysis found many drivers getting were caught at just over 30 or 40 mph.

It became apparent that drivers were being caught out by TfL’s own efforts to make roads safer with lower speeding limits rather than anything more serious, says fleet compliance manager Tim Dawes.

TfL has committed to reducing speed limits to 20mph on all 220 kilometers of the TfL road network by 2024.

Dawes added: “A lot of the London area is now limited to 20mph. Telematics data showed that many speeding incidents involved drivers travelling around 32mph, so it was clear they were trying to stick to a 30mph limit when, in fact, they were in a 20mph limit.”

One driver unaware of a new, lower speeding limit racked up speeding tickets on the same stretch of road over consecutive nights, Dawes says, adding that the driver “wished he’d had a limiter fitted to his vehicle”.

He added: “We’ve retrofitted intelligent speed assistance, provided by a company called Sturdy to 360 of the vehicles. It’s a GPS-based system which limits the vehicles to road’s speed limit.”

The system has an override function should a driver need to intervene, perhaps if a map used by the GPS hasn’t been fully updated.

So far, 330 vehicles have been fitted with the systems and funding permitting, Dawes would like to extend it to the remaining fleet.

The fleet comes under TfL’s Vehicle Logistics department, based in Acton, West London and other vehicles include fire engine-like vehicles and refuse collection trucks. By Graham Hill thanks to Fleet News